Excavating-bucket.



` A. E. HoLooMB.

--BXUAVATING BUCKET. l I APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1908. 918,552.' IPatented Apr.20, 1909.

A. E. vHOLCMB.

EXOAVATING BUCKET.

ArPLIoATIoN Hmm. JULY 14, 190s.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2v.

// Pff/11M L 'UNITED STA'IFISv IATENPI OFFICE.

LPIIEUS E. HOLCOMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOFRANCIS M. IOI-INsoN, OF OREGON, ILLINOIS.

EXCAVATING-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed July 14, 1908. Serial No, 443,486.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrIInUs E. Il'oLcorm, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inExcavator-Buckets,of which the following is a full., clear, concise, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in excavator buckets, and has forone of its objects to provide a bucket which, while having all theadvantages of a face-digging bucket, will possess the additionaladvantage of being adapted to travel vertically, or substantiallyvertically, without losing its load, and which, at the same time, may beautomatically dumped.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one form which myinvention may take.

In said drawings- Figure l is a face view of a bucket ladder carrying myimproved bucket; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved bucket; F ig.3 is a plan view of my improved bucket; Fig. a is a detail view of thehinged connection for the bottom of the bucket; Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4^; Fig. 6 is an end view of thehinge illustrated in F ig. 1i; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on theline 7 7 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7and Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7

In carrying out my invention I provide a bucket ladder, which may be ofany suitable form, for carrying the traveling conveyer on which thebuckets are mounted. The ladder illustrated in the drawings comprises a.pair of side frames 2 and 3, formed of angle irons, between which thero'tatino tumblers for the conveyer are supported upon suitable shafts.In the form of the ladder illustrated I have shown carried thereby apair of upper tumbler-s 4, two pairs 5 and 6 of intermediate tumblers,which are arranged relatively to the upper tumblers to cause theconveyer, when traveling at the upper end of the ladder, to assume a-substantially horizontal position; one pair 7 of secondary intermediatetumblers, which are arranged relatively to the pairof bottom tumblers 9in such a manner that the conveyer will be given the proper slant forcutting the face of the ditch; a pair 8 for supporting the conveyer onthe upper side of the ladder; and a pair of bottom tumblers 9. rlheconveyer for carrying the buckets comprises a pair of chains l0, whichare adapted to vtravel over the tumblers above mentioned, and on thedigging face of the ladder are adapted to travel in a pair of guides Il,which hold the buckets in a rigid digging position. The upper tumbler Iis preferably the driving tumbler for the chain, and receives its motionby means of a beveled gear connection 12 between the shaft 18 of thetumbler and a suitable driving shaft. The shaft I3 of the tumbler isalso provided with a fixed scraper 14, which projects horizontally fromvthe upper end of the bucket ladder and in a position to enter and cleaneach bucket as it is dumped.

A plurality of buckets 15 are secured between the traveling chains 10.Each bucket comprises a curved bottom 16, two sides 17 and a hinged back18. This construction leaves the top and front of the bucket open. Forhingiug the back 1S to the bucket I provide on the bottom 1G a pair ofcastings 19, having openings therein in which fit the ends of a bearingrod 20. The extreme outer ends of the rod are flattened, as at 21, andthat portion of the openings in the castings in which these ends fit iscorrespondingly shaped to prevent the rod from turning. i- `journalbushing 22 fits over the bearing rod 20 and at its outer end is securedin a pair of castings 23, bolted or otherwise fastened on the back 1S.The outer ends of the bushing 2Q are also flattened, as at 2li, toprevent the bushing from turning relatively to the back 18. By thisarrangement a hinge for the back is provided which has a large bearingsurface. The castings 19 are provided with rearwardly extending stops25, which limit the opening movement of the back 1S, and it will benoted that when the back is opened to its full extent it formspractically a continuation of the bottom 16. The advantage of thisarrangement will be Inore apparent hereinafter.

For holding the back 1S of the bucket closed, I provide on each side ofthe bucket a latch 26, pivoted at 27 and having at its rear end a catchor hook 2S for engaging a projection 29 secured on the back of thebucket. The opposite end of the latch is extended, as at 30, to providea means whereby the hook 28 may be disengaged, to permit the back toopen. Each of the pair of tumblers 9, 6 and a are respectively providedwith cam members 3l, 32 and 33 for operating the latch 26.

For the purpose of describing the operation ,of my bucket, we willdescribe a complete cycle of one bucket, and assume that the cyclestarts just before the bucket reaches its dumping point. As the bucketnears its dumping point it passes over the tumbler et, and one of thecams 33 on each of the pair of tumblers engages the projecting portions30 of the latches 26, forcing this end of the latches downwardly, whichcauses the opposite ends to be moved upwardly and become disengaged fromthe projections 29 on the back of the bucket. ln its continued movementover the tumbler the bucket assumes a vertical position and the weightof the dirt or material in the bucket forces the back open and the loadis dumped. As the bucket Vtravels over the tumbler Ll, the scraper leenters the same and clears the bucket of any dirt or material which hasadhered to the inner surface of the bottom and back of the bucket. lasbefore mentioned, the back of the bucket, when opened, forms acontinuation of the curved bottom of the bucket. By this arrangementVthe back forms no obstruction to the scraper 14 and the bucket willcontinue in its travel over the tumbler without hindrance. On its returntravel to the bottom of the bucket ladder, it will be noted that theposition of the bucket is reversed. Gravity will, therefore, cause thebottom of the bucket to drop closed, and as the bucket passes beneath oraround the pair of lower tumblers 9, the cams 3l on these tumblers willengage the latches 26 and move them closed or into engagement with theprojections 29 on the bottom of the buckets. At this point the bucketcommences to dig and the weight of the material in the bucket willprevent the catch from becoming disengaged. lt will also be noted thatas the bucket moves on its up fard travel again the latches 26 are onthe upper side of the bucket, and gravity will also tend to hold the samclosed.

The above is a description more particularly of the operation of thebucket in dry land work. In operating the bucket in water, or underwater, the water tends to keep the back from closing. rlherefore, inoperating in water I provide a spring 34, which tends to hold the latchnormally closed, so that the back is fastened before entering the water.Then the spring is provided, as the bucket is dumped and after the latchhas moved out of engagement with one of the cams 33, the spring willpull the latch into closed position before the bottom of the bucketcandrop shut; therefore, as the bucket moves over the pair of tumblers 6,one of the cams on each of the tumblers will engage the projecting end30 of the latch, again yforcing the latch open, and as the bucketassumes a substantially vertical position on its return travel, thebottom will drop shut, so that when the bucket passes off of thetumblers 6 the spring on the latch will pull the same closed over theprojection 29.

Having thns described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters latent, is:

l. The combination with a bucket ladder,

oit bucket traveling thereon and having a portion adapted to open, meansfor automatically causing said portion to open to dump the bucket, andmeans whereby said portion is automatically closed after the bucket hasbeen dumped. 4 2. The combination with a ladder, of a bucket travelingthereon and having a portion adapted to open, and means forautomatically opening the portion, cleaning the bucket and closing saidportion.

The combination with a bucket ladder,

of a bucket traveling thereon having a curved bottom and an openingback, the curve of the bottom and the back, when opened, having itscenter on the .center of the tumbler over which the bucket passes at adumping point.

4. The combination with a bucket ladder, of a bucket traveling thereonhaving a curved bottom and an opening back, the cur Ye of the bottom andback, when opened, having its center on the center .of the tumbler overwhich the bucket passes at its dumping point, and a scraper adapted toenter and clean said bucket.

5. The combination with a bucket ladder, of a bucket traveling thereonhaving aI curved bottom and an opening back, the curve of the bottom andback, when opened, having its center on the center of the tumbler overwhich the bucket passes at its dumping point, and a stationary cleanerover which said bucket is adapted to pass.

6. The combination with a bucket ladder, of a bucket adapted to travelthereon having a back adapted to open, a latch for holding the backclosed, automatically operated means for disengaging the latch to permitthe back to open, said back being adapted to close by gravity,andautomatically operated means for causing said latch to engage to holdthe back closed.

7. The combination with a bucket ladder having an upper tumbler and alowerV tumbler, of a bucket traveling on said ladder iaving a backadapted to open, a latch for holding said back closed, automaticallyoperated means for disengaging said latch to permit the back to open,said back being adapted to close by gravity, and automatically operatedmeans for closing said latch.

8. The combination with a bucket ladder having an upper tumbler and alower tumbler, of a bucket traveling on said ladder having a backadapted to open, a latch for holding said back closed, automaticallyoperated means for disengaging said latch to permit the back to open,said back beingI adapted to close by gravity, automatically operatedmeans for closing said latch, and means for normally holding said latchclosed.

9. The combination with a bucket ladder having an upper tumbler and alower tumbler, 'of a bucket traveling on said ladder having a backadapted to open, a latch for holding said back closed, automaticallyoperated means for disengaging said latch to permit the back to open,said back being adapted to close by gravity, and automatically operatedmeans for closing' said latch, said latch being adapted to be normallyheld closed by a spring.

10. In a traveling bucket, the combination with a body portion, of aortion adapted to open, and means for hinging said portion to the bodyportion, comprising a bearing rod rigidly secured to said body portionand a journal sleeve journaled on said rod and rigidly secured to saidopening portion.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two Witnesses.

J`LiLPHEUs E. HoLooMB.

llitnesses O. CZEKALA, M. R. ROCHFORD.

